Rule Source
This rule comes from: https://github.com/mesosphere/dcos-docs-site
Rule Definition
---
extends: existence
message: "Do not start a paragraph with a 'but'."
level: error
scope: paragraph
tokens:
- ^But
No Paragraph-Starting 'But'
This rule checks for paragraphs that begin with the word "But." It helps maintain strong, clear writing by discouraging a common writing habit that can weaken the flow and professionalism of your content. Starting sentences (especially paragraphs) with conjunctions like "but" is often considered informal and can indicate that the content could be better structured.
While "but" is a perfectly valid word for connecting contrasting ideas within paragraphs, starting a new paragraph with it can suggest a disconnected flow of thoughts. Instead, writers should consider using stronger transitional phrases or restructuring their ideas to maintain better paragraph cohesion.
Examples:
Will flag ❌:
But the new feature wasn't ready for release.
But we decided to proceed anyway with the deployment.
Won't flag ✅:
The new feature wasn't ready for release.
After careful consideration, we decided to proceed with the deployment.